Those last months, weeks, days...
How do you spend them?
I know i'm going to get a lot of different answers. But that's a god thing.
Thanks

Try to keep a normal routine because the dog can pick up on your emotions an quite possibly stress over that.
If possible just do things your dog may enjoy but I realize that may be past. That's when I know it's time and have to ask myself if I'm hanging on to the dog for my own selfish reasons or can the dog benefit? The honest answer to that determines if it's time to let go.
In the past I've hung on to long and realized it only hurt the dog.
My answer has always been to immediately get another dog when one has passed on. I know that not everyone can or should do that but it's what I do.

With my last dog when I knew I would be losing him, after I got over my initial fear and pre-grief. I took my cues from him, we used to do a six mile walk daily, sometimes he would leave the house, lift his leg, and want to go back inside right away, somedays he wanted to go on his walk. I let him decide. I tried as hard as I was able to watch his body language, and demeanor to know when he wanted to do something and when he didn't.He was allowed more fun food, partly to encourage him to eat, partly just for his own enjoyment. I spent time letting him know how very much he meant to me, he might not have understood the words but he understood the tone. He used to travel with me everywhere, Somedays he didn't want to get in the car, I respected his wishes. When he wanted I took him to his favorite places, and we spent time just meandering, at his pace, letting him sniff to his hearts content, moments I cherished. He was always a very good dog, and I got a little more leniant, he set the pace, I allowed him to decide which ways we went on our many adventures together. I just respected and loved him. I tried to be aware of his pain and comfort level. I simply made the most of the time we had left, and while my heart was breaking, I stayed strong for him.

I've since heard several people talking about doing a bucket list with their dog, in hindsight it seems like a good idea.

I hope you and your dog have many more happy days together.

One thing that I do is go look at puppies. I go look at litters in the paper of breeds I know I don't want, I just go look, and pick them up, and smell their breath. Or I might go to a shelter.

I do this to make myself move on. I have to push to think of future dogs, of moving forward. Because you can't fix aging, it will happen over and over with every dog you have, old age and euthanasia is just a part of loving a dog. Like winter, this time comes.

With my last old dog, when I could see that time was short, I tried to make some time each day to just sit with her, to snuggle with her. But DWELLING on her upcoming death, stewing about it, is not something I can do anymore. It opens my thought processes to things I have done badly in my life that I just cannot spend time thinking about.

What Bob said has been crucial for me:

"If possible just do things your dog may enjoy but I realize that may be past. That's when I know it's time and have to ask myself if I'm hanging on to the dog for my own selfish reasons or can the dog benefit? The honest answer to that determines if it's time to let go.
In the past I've hung on to long and realized it only hurt the dog. "

I never second-guess letting her go .... my bigger concern is about waiting longer than I should have. I want to give the gift of a peaceful passing, without misery that I could have saved her from.

I maintain upbeat energy and not sorrow and anxiety ... the dog picks up on our feelings so well. This is hard, but it's important for me.



I acknowledge to myself that I have made life good and secure for a beloved living being, including a quiet and unafraid departure to the Bridge.


Nothing makes it easier for me, but I can make it easier for her.


I'm sorry, Brianah. We know how hard it is.

I'm very sorry for what you are going through, Brianah. We've also gone through that with several dogs and I know how hard it is.

I can only echo what the others have said. The most important thing we've learned over time with this is to not let things linger. Obviously, your dog will call the shots as far as activity level is concerned and you can't push them. Just keep them as comfortable as possible and love them as much as you can. With our last senior dog, we took her for one last walk to give her a final positive experience on her last day and then went immediately to the vet for the rest. It was so much better than waiting until a medical emergency dictates her final hours. Even then, we knew we should have gone sooner but were only delaying for our own gratification.

Otherwise, right up until the end, we try to keep things as normal as possible. You'll know when it's time. Our thoughts go out to you for the strength to know when the time is right.

Take some photos. I have thousands of photos of Luca's life. But the couple of snapshots of him and me sitting together on our deck on the day before he died (when I knew it was his last days) are among the most special.

And find a quiet time and place with just you and the dog to say all the things in your heart. For me, I spent an hour or so softly brushing Luca's coat and thanking him for sharing his life with me. It was one of the most profound hours of my life, and I still tear up thinking about it. But I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to have this closure, and know that I left nothing unsaid between us.

I'm so sorry that you're going through this. If there is any blessing, it is that you have the time to prepare, and the understanding of what's happening to make this passing as peaceful and full of love as you can.

Enjoy these days...live them up, spend time with your dog, do the things you love to do together.

I wasn't fortunate enough to know the end was coming for my Grace. I literally walked in the vet with a dog and walked out an hour later without one. It was sudden, harsh and unbelievable painful. But it gives me comfort to know that we always did the things we loved...she ran agility right by my side at 11 years old, we still trained, we still walked and played.

So many kind suggestions and wise words have already been spoken here, all from the perspective of painful personal experience, so I don't know that I can add much. I agree the most important thing is to spend as much time with your dog as you are able and do the things she loves and is still able to do. As difficult as it is, try to be as normal as possible to keep her from picking up on your fears and sadness.

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is that I like to write a very personal memoir of sorts, just for me, where I remember all the things that made that dog so special, things I never, ever want to forget, the silly or funny things they did, their endearing traits, their little quirks that made them who they are. The last time I had to send a dog to the Bridge was almost six years ago, and still, every several months or so, I'll find myself perusing all the things I wrote down, and though I still miss her so very much, I'm able to laugh and smile at the memories.

What Cheri said about keeping the good times alive in a journal or memoir will do something really important .... it will help to re-focus from the fact that the beloved friend has gone on, to the fact that her life blessed yours (and vice versa).

It's so easy to become mired in the emotions of loss and grief when what this being really brought to us was joy and connection and affection and companionship.

I try very hard to focus on what a gift I was given rather than on the gift's non-permanent nature.


Melissa, you're right .... it's such a blessing to have a few more days to make memories.

But you were at least able to bestow on Grace a gentle passing.